


The Nature of the Ballroom Dance

by WingletBlackbird



Series: Star Wars Fictober Challenge [16]
Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Ballroom, Class Divide, Gen, Jedi Training, Starwarsfictober, dance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2019-01-22 16:58:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12486428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WingletBlackbird/pseuds/WingletBlackbird
Summary: Anakin has to learn ballroom dancing at the Temple. He thinks it's stupid, and a waste of time, but Obi-Wan cynically explains that there is a method to the madness. The question is: Who does it benefit?





	The Nature of the Ballroom Dance

Prompt: Dance

Anakin has had to learn many things at the Temple, and while he has often felt ostracised, or frustrated, or out-of-place, he has loved it: It’s such a thrill, and Anakin has always been full of questions. Besides, getting an education was something he could only have dreamed of on Tatooine. Anakin has learned the standard things like math, science, and language studies. He’s also studied history, and politics, and military strategy. He’s enjoyed all of it, (even if language studies was one of the strangest and weirdest things to him. He speaks the wrong dialect of Huttese? Huh?) Still, one of the most truly ridiculous things he’s ever had to learn is “rich people dancing.” Well, technically, it’s called “ballroom dancing,” but Anakin thinks “rich people dancing,” or “ twirling around a fancy room stupidly” works just as well.

Seriously though, only rich people would dance like that. After all, only rich people, (and very silly ones he thinks), would build an entire room just to dance. You could totally use your credits for something better, like, I dunno, freeing slaves! Obi-Wan had explained that the purpose of the dance was to talk to your partner, and get to know them in an appropriate, chaperoned setting. The dance had developed as a means of meeting potential mates, and of forming ties, and political connections in a safe environment, rather than just going to war. This way words were used rather than weapons. It was an example of “civility.” Ballroom dancing, apparently, (Anakin is deeply skeptical of all of this), is a part of proper diplomacy. The way Anakin sees it though, if you’ve got something to say, and want to be allies, then just say it. You don’t need a fancy ballroom to do it in.

That’s when Obi-Wan had gotten cynical. First, the ballroom is fancy, which shows that the person hosting the ball is wealthy, powerful, and influential. He or she is making a statement. It takes money to go to war, and if you can prove you’ve got enough, it’s a form of protection. People won’t risk going up against you. Secondly, if you only talk to one group of people, the others might think you’re conspiring. This is called “secret diplomacy.” It makes other groups nervous. It’s caused wars before. Therefore, (that’s a high-class Coruscanti-Obi-Wan-Word), the whole ballroom setting serves a purpose. It gets everyone together. Anakin supposes that kinda makes sense, except that it’s really stupid people would go to war like that, (but people are stupid as a rule so…), and you can still show off your wealth if you spend it to free slaves. Of course, then you wouldn’t have the money, although you might have loyal citizens who would look up to you… In any case, it’s really all just a way for rich people to show off, and not do anything good with their money. At least, that’s what Anakin thinks. It’s a stupid system. The good politicians have to play the game, and most of them aren’t good anyway, so they keep it going. It’s all bantha poodoo. Obi-Wan thinks so too, even if he’s too posh to say it. Anakin figures he’ll just have to say it for him.


End file.
